Hillary Hartley named Ontario’s first chief digital officer

The Province of Ontario recently announced the appointment of the United States government’s digital office’s former deputy executive, Hillary Hartley, to the new position of Chief Digital Officer.

Hartley, who will assume the role in April, will be responsible for streamlining provincial online services to make them more efficient for citizens.

“I am so excited to join an incredible team of passionate people, with wicked digital skills, who are working hard to create change and bring user-focused design and internet-era ways of working to government,” said Hartley in a statement from the province. “Making government services simpler and easier to use will have a huge impact on people’s lives — I can’t wait to get started.”

Hartley’s previous experience includes serving as deputy executive Director of 18F, the U.S. government’s digital office, and acting as a former Presidential Innovation Fellow. She was also worked as the director of integrated marketing at NIC Inc., which helps state and regional governments integrate new web technologies.

In her new role, Hartley will report both to the Head of Ontario Public Service as well as Deb Matthews, Ontario’s minister responsible for digital government.

“We are committed to becoming the most open, transparent and digitally connected government in Canada, and hiring our first CDO is a major step in Ontario’s journey. The world we live in and the way we interact and communicate with each other have changed. People now expect to have access to information and services anytime, anywhere and on any device,” Matthews told MobileSyrup.

“We are so pleased that Hillary will be leading this charge and heading up digital transformation efforts across government. Her extensive experience in leading the digital transformation of public sector organizations will be a huge asset to Ontario,” she continued.

In a statement sent to MobileSyrup, Hartley’s main responsibility seems to be setting the provincial government’s digital agenda “whether they’re renewing a driver’s licence, applying for student aid or finding health services near home through Ontario.ca.”

One of Hartley’s first projects include using digital resources to improve the process of renewing a driver’s license or applying for OSAP.

“In her role, Hillary Hartley will work with government ministries to deliver major digital projects and accelerate transformation by setting new service standards, attracting and empowering digital talent, and aligning partners around delivering the best-possible customer experience. In addition to leading digital teams in the Cabinet Office and steering the government’s broader digital change efforts, Hillary will engage with digital and civic tech communities across the province,” Matthews told MobileSyrup.

According to Matthews, some of Hartley’s first projects will include using digital resources to improve the process of renewing a driver’s license or applying for OSAP.

The provincial government has launched several projects over the past few months to promote digital integration across Ontario. Some of these include partnering with educators to promote 29 pilot projects that develop students’ digital literacy, bringing about digital and online learning for students, partnering with Deluxe’s Stereo D to help the company expand its digital media operations in Toronto at the end of last year and launching the Ontario Digital Government Office in 2016.

Its most recent announcement however, seems geared towards streamlining these efforts and set priorities for the digital transformation going forward.